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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com